Where to Go Stargazing Near Bryan, TX

Juggling due dates, searching for a post-graduate job and all the things in-between has really weighed on me this semester. As a senior, you’d think it would get easier, but it just feels higher stakes. I needed something to relax and unwind. For me, there’s no better way to do this than to look at the stars, but most of Aggieland has too much light pollution.

A quick google search led me to Lake Somerville, which is a little less than an hour away from campus. After checking my weather app for clear skies, I bought $10 day passes for a trip to the state park. Once Saturday arrived, my wife and I were ready to go. We left town around nine o’clock, ready to see the stars. As we drove further away from Aggieland, we could see more of the night sky straight ahead and ambient light faded into the rear view. By the time our 45 minute podcast was over, we were at the park.

My wife took some photography classes in college, so we brought her camera to try and capture some astrophotography. I parked in the boat ramp lot and we sat with our feet hanging off the bed of our truck. Before we tried taking any photos, we just sat and looked up. Being from Houston, I rarely get to see stars and it's even more infrequent that I can see the milky way. I was astounded at how clear the sky was just a short drive from Bryan.

As our necks began to hurt from staring at the sky, we were reminded of the camp where we met. It was a cool summer night, and we could hear the lake hitting the pavement and birds chirping. Every few minutes we could also hear fish jumping out of the water. We went to investigate, but all we could see was the stars reflecting off of the waves. That image reminded me of the camera we had taken to capture the night. Sadly, her camera couldn’t lower the aperture enough, so our pictures were blurry. We took pictures with our iPhones instead, which turned out awesome—Truly a testament to our amature photography skills, high-quality iPhone cameras, and the beauty of a dark night sky.

We packed up and made it home around midnight. The drive was the perfect opportunity to connect, plus the tickets to the state park were college-budget friendly. Going to Lake Somerville has become our new way to decompress.

A few weeks later, my wife and I wanted to see the stars again, but we had work the next morning. Instead of packing our camera, I picked up her favorite pizza from KinderHill and headed for Lake Bryan. A weekend on Lake Bryan at Cadillac Ranch is fun, but we were focused on seeing the stars. We took our regular walking trail and looked up when we got to an open field. I made the mistake of forgetting to check the sky beforehand, so we saw only a few stars, but the quiet of the park and sound of the lake made up for my slip-up.

Now that I am planning another trip to Lake Somerville, here are my suggestions:

• If you can see a good sunset with no clouds, it’ll be a great night for stars in Bryan.
• After watching the sunset, buy your tickets online, grab your partner’s favorite pizza and hit the road. By the time you arrive, the milky way will be out and the park will be quiet.
  
• If you want to see stars, but also enjoy live music and a beer, Lake Bryan is the perfect spot to visit during the weekends.